The Ontario government is investing $22 million to reconstruct six dams across the province including the Baptiste Lake Dam in Bancroft.
Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, says the remediation will ensure the dams continue to meet provincial standards and prevent significant environmental, financial and public safety issues.
The reconstruction of these six dams has been identified in the ministry’s long-term infrastructure plan as critical priorities to support public safety and the environment.
Their rehabilitation will extend the useful service life of each dam for up to 100 years.
The other five dams being remediated are:
Agimak Lake Dam in the Township of Ignace
Manitou River Dam on Manitoulin Island
Kashegaba Lake Dam in the Municipality of Whitestone
Lyndhurst Dam in the Village of Lyndhurst
Magnetawan Lake Dams in the Village of Magnetawan
“The investment announced today by the Government of Ontario to extend the life of six major dams will limit flood risk throughout Ontario for nearly 100 years to come, says Dr. Blair Feltmate, Head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo. “With the growing challenge of increasingly severe rainfall events, these dams will help many homeowners avoid the financial and social burden of flooding.”
